Last year's champions are 12 points behind their neighbours in the race for glory but Roberto Mancini's No.2 insists that the FA Cup has not become their sole priority ahead of Sunday's fifth-round tie with Leeds United.

Kidd bullishly told the Manchester Evening News: "People seem to think we have given up and that the priority is the cup. Far from it.

"While we will go all out to try to win the cup, that does not mean anyone has given up on the league. There is a mood of determination.

"It's a 12-point gap but we have to go to Old Trafford [on April 6] and there's a chance of picking up three points there.

“With 12 games to go, it will be tough - we are not kidding ourselves - but there is no way we are conceding the title now.

"We are the champions and it's about how we finish from now until the end of the season. We have to fight like hell and work like hell for the last 12 games. Great champions don't lose their titles sitting on a stool.

"We have a smashing group of players who are well capable of going on a great run, of going undefeated. That's how good I think this squad is."